USC's Barkley coming back

Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley believed he was prepared to play in the NFL and the draft prognosticators agreed with him.

He had skillfully guided the program through two years of NCAA sanctions, put up big numbers to add his name to the list of great Trojans quarterbacks.

Barkley just wasn't ready to leave. He still had some unfinished business at USC.

Setting off a round of cheers at USC's Heritage Hall, Barkley announced Thursday that he's returning for his senior season, putting off the NFL for a chance to lead the Trojans from under the cloud of NCAA sanctions to a BCS bowl.

"I am staying so I can finish what I started," Barkley said.

At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds and with a game that matured over three years at Troy, Barkley was projected as a high first-round pick in the NFL draft, an enticement that had lured his predecessor, Mark Sanchez, after his junior season.

Barkley let USC coach Lane Kiffin know about his decision with a Christmas ornament that had a picture of the two together during this season's game against Colorado on one side and the words "One More Year" on the back.

"That's not an easy decision," Kiffin said. "Not many people would do what Matt has done."

As a junior, he threw for 3,528 yards and 39 touchdowns with only seven interceptions.

Weis gets two QB transfers

Kansas coach Charlie Weis landed a pair of high-profile quarterbacks. Former top recruit Dayne Crist announced on Twitter that he would join the Jayhawks for his senior season after a checkered career at Notre Dame, shortly before news broke that BYU quarterback Jake Heaps was also transferring to Kansas.

Crist will reunite with Weis, who recruited him to Notre Dame, and be eligible to play next season because he's already graduated from Notre Dame. Heaps will have to sit out under NCAA transfer rules but will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Akron hires Terry Bowden

Akron hired Terry Bowden as its new football coach.

Bowden, a onetime hot coaching commodity who spent six seasons at Auburn and the past three at Division II North Alabama, takes over a team that went 2-22 and won just one conference game the past two seasons.

"I'm so excited to be a Zip," said Bowden, who coached Akron's quarterbacks in 1986 under Gerry Faust. "With the great resources and the commitment to winning by the administration and community, it's just a matter of time until we build a championship program."

Bowden led North Alabama to the Division II playoffs in all three seasons with a team stocked with transfers like ex-Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins and former Florida State receiver Jarmon Fortson.

Late Wednesday: TCU wins Poinsettia Bowl

Casey Pachall highlighted a record-setting game with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Skye Dawson with 4:26 left to lift No. 16 TCU to a 31-24 victory against Louisiana Tech in the Poinsettia Bowl.

It was the eighth straight victory for Mountain West Conference champion TCU (11-2), which moves to the Big 12 next year. It was the third time this season TCU overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to win, including a 36-35 victory at Boise State on Nov. 12, the Broncos' only loss.